European SME Week Youth Startup Competition (YSC) 2023

Deadline: Unspecified

Are you a young entrepreneur with a transformative startup idea? Are you passionate about addressing pressing global challenges while championing European values and principles? Apply for the European SME Week Youth Startup Competition (YSC) 2023.

The European SME Week Youth Startup Competition is a competition designed to celebrate and support young entrepreneurs between the ages of 18 and 25 who are developing innovative start-up ideas that tackle today’s most critical challenges such as sustainability, social inclusion, and technological innovation.

Benefits

• The three shortlisted candidates will be announced online and invited to the SME Assembly in Bilbao, Spain, which is taking place in 13-17 November. In a dedicated YSC session at the event, they will have the opportunity to present their start-up idea and business model. The audience, along with the jury, will vote for their favourite, resulting in a final winner.
• Attending the SME Assembly 2023 is not only an opportunity to showcase your start-up but also a chance to connect with potential investors and partners. The event offers a variety of workshops, panel discussions, and networking events where young entrepreneurs can learn, grow, and collaborate with industry professionals.

Eligibility

• You must be between 18 and 25 years old.
• You must be from any of the EU or COSME countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Iceland, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia, Turkey, Ukraine.
• Your start-up idea must promote sustainability and reflect EU values.

Selection Criteria

The winner of the YSC will be chosen by a jury based on three essential criteria: creativity, visibility, and communications.

Application

You need to create a short video (maximum 3 minutes) detailing:

• the concept of your start-up idea;
• why your idea is relevant today;
• a brief overview of your business plan.

Click here to apply

For more information, visit Youth Startup Competition.